3 Ageless Fashion Trends for Fall—and How to Wear Them

Let’s face it: Fashion feels like a sprint. Keeping up with the latest versions of what everyone is wearing is downright exhausting, and it always seems that the moment we’ve added something new to our wardrobes, we turn around to find that everyone’s already onto the next thing.

But not all trends are made equal. Some come and go before you have time to make up your mind on them, while others surprise us by sticking around for several seasons—and others still manage to earn themselves permanent spots in our closets. It’s the latter that are the most satisfying pieces to own because they completely sidestep fashion’s speedy cycle. Invest in something with longevity, and your granddaughter could potentially still be wearing it half a century from now. It’s classic style at its finest, and it’s making a return for fall. All over the F/W 19 runways, designers envisioned something altogether more timeless and elevated. Simplicity was at the heart of it and offered a good reminder that despite the ultimately fleeting nature of certain trends, these few classics will always be relevant—today, next season, and decades from now.

To prove just how universal they are, we took three such “trends”—suiting, leather, and plaid—and cast two women ages 24 and 67 to model the looks side by side. Of all the fashion on offer for fall, the following are worthy investments.